Watcharr vs Traktarr in 2026
Watcharr and Traktarr compared for self-hosters: where each gets its lists, how each feeds Radarr and Sonarr, what is known about price, and what to check.
VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.
Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find movies and shows to add to Radarr and Sonarr. [1] Watcharr takes one public IMDb list and gives you one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. [2] Pick by where your list lives: Trakt or IMDb.
| Option | List source | Price | Sends to | Also stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traktarr | Trakt.tv: official lists such as Trending and Popular [1], public lists [1] and private lists [1] | not published | Radarr for movies and Sonarr for shows [1] | Adds one movie or many movies at a time to Radarr [1] [1]; adds one show or many shows at a time to Sonarr [1] [1]; supports more than one user, each signed in with their own account [1]; requires Python 3.5 or newer [1]; works on Debian and other systems [1]; has an automatic scheduled mode [1] |
| Watcharr | Any public IMDb watchlist or list [2] | not published | One Radarr link and one Sonarr link [2] | Hosted version needs nothing to install and no account [2]; Radarr checks every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 [2] |
The short answer
Radarr and Sonarr are the apps that add movies and shows to a home media library, and this page is for people who run them. Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. [1]
Watcharr takes one public IMDb list and gives you one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [2]
If your wish list is a public IMDb watchlist or list, Watcharr's claims say it accepts it. [2] If you keep private lists on Trakt, Traktarr's page lists private lists among what it supports. [1]
What Traktarr is built for
Traktarr's own page says it uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add in to Sonarr and Radarr, respectively. [1]
Its page also lists private lists among the kinds of list it supports. [1]
The table lists the other points its page gives, such as the other list types, what it needs to run and what it can add to Radarr and Sonarr. Beyond that, the sources give little detail, so check its own pages for anything else you need, such as a licence or how it connects to Plex.
What Watcharr is built for
Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site.
You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [2] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [2] The same list always gives the same two links. [2]
For shows, it matches them for Sonarr, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [2] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [2]
If you sign in, it re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [2] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. [2]
The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [2]
Pricing and fees
No price for Traktarr is given in the facts used for this page, so its price is not published here. Check its own page before you decide.
For Watcharr, the approved claims give no price either, so a price is not published here. They do say the hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [2]
On use, the claims say commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [2] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [2]
Neither source here names a card fee or a charge from another service, so the table marks those parts as not published.
Setting it up with your server
The facts here say nothing about Plex for Traktarr, so check its page for that. For Radarr and Sonarr, the table shows what its page says it can add.
Watcharr works through links. Radarr and Sonarr check the link on their own, Radarr every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [2] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key, the private code that lets apps talk to each other, without sending it anywhere else. [2]
You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app; a one-click shortcut for adding lists shows on bigger screens. [2] The claims here say nothing about Plex, so check that too.
The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [2]
Things to check before you choose
Where does your list live today? Check each tool's sources for the list options that matter to you.
Do you need private lists? Traktarr's page names them. [1] For Watcharr, check the list rules, since its claims speak of public lists.
What will you run it on? Check what Traktarr needs before you start, using the table. Watcharr's hosted version needs nothing to install. [2]
Will anyone else share the setup? Check the table for Traktarr's users. Watcharr lets signed-in users combine several lists for a household. [2]
Is the use commercial? Check each licence and price page first.
How does each tool connect to Plex? The sources here do not say.
How to choose
If you want to start from a public IMDb watchlist or list, Watcharr's claims say it accepts it. [2]
If you want one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr from that list, Watcharr gives them. [2]
If you want a household to share several IMDb lists with no duplicates, Watcharr describes that for signed-in users. [2]
If you want to know which shows could not be matched, Watcharr says it tells you which ones it skipped. [2]
If your lists are on Trakt.tv, Traktarr's page says it uses Trakt.tv to find titles for Sonarr and Radarr. [1] If you want private lists, its page names them. [1]
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Watcharr and Traktarr?
Watcharr takes a public IMDb list and gives you one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [2] Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. [1] The main difference is the list source.
Does Traktarr support private lists?
Its page lists private lists among what it supports. [1] The page marks them with an asterisk, and the facts here do not say why, so check its page for any conditions before you rely on private lists.
Does Watcharr work with any IMDb list?
It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [2] The same list always gives the same two links. [2] The claims speak only of public lists.
How often does Radarr or Sonarr check a Watcharr list?
Radarr and Sonarr check each Watcharr link on their own, Radarr every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [2] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [2]
Can Watcharr or Traktarr be used commercially?
For Watcharr, commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [2] The facts used here give no licence or price for Traktarr, so check its own page before you plan any commercial use.
Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [2]
Try WatcharrSources
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